It's about /general/ relativity. Assumes you're familiar with systems of nonlinear partial differential equations in curvilinear coordinates. If so, wIt's about /general/ relativity. Assumes you're familiar with systems of nonlinear partial differential equations in curvilinear coordinates. If so, with effort, you can follow him. He does define his notation.
For an intro to special relativity, see Spacetime Physics by Taylor and Wheeler....more
Asimov’s Chronology of the World, Isaac Asimov [1920–1992], 1991, 649pp, ISBN 0062700367.
A one-volume education.
Asimov gives us not only events and daAsimov’s Chronology of the World, Isaac Asimov [1920–1992], 1991, 649pp, ISBN 0062700367.
A one-volume education.
Asimov gives us not only events and dates, but causes and consequences of what happened. Not just wars, but discoveries and ideas. As a biochemistry professor, Asimov knows which discoveries were significant, and why. Very concise, yet thorough. Asimov was brilliant. And interested in everything. And prolific.
Focusing on events influencing Western culture (p. 30). The Big Bang through V-J Day, September 2, 1945. In the epilog he says he had thought to extend it to the present, 1991—but that the rate of change since 1945 has been off the charts—it would take another 650 pages to cover 1945–1990. [And the rate of change hasn’t slowed. 1991 was when Tim Berners-Lee introduced the World Wide Web.]
It’s not possible to remain a pure pacifist after reading Asimov’s account of German aggression in WWII.
Introduction: pp. 1–3 Big Bang through 12,000 years ago: pp. 3–23 10,000 BC–600 BC: pp. 23–54 600 BC–1700 AD: pp. 54–269: a section every 50 years, subsections by country 1700–1880: pp. 269–416: 25-year sections 1700s, 20-year 1800–1880 1880–1910: pp. 417–490: 10-year sections 1910–1914: pp. 490–502 1914–1920: pp. 502–531 1920–1930: pp. 532–560 1930–1939: pp. 560–594 1939–1945: pp. 595–647 Epilog: pp. 647–649
There are no notes, no bibliography, and only a feeble index (pp. 653–674). If you forget when silk was smuggled out of China to Europe, google it. Silk isn’t in the index. If you want to know which of the ancients thought the earth orbits the sun, reread the book. Heliocentrism isn’t in the index—nor even astronomy. Only if you know the names of all the astronomers and philosophers you’re interested in, will the index help. There are no maps, no graphs, no tables, no illustrations. Just text. Brilliant text.
Bacteria existed by 3.5 billion years ago. Photosynthetic cyanobacteria allowed an explosion of life by trapping solar energy. They oxygenated the atmosphere. Eukaryotes (with cell nuclei) appeared about 1.4 billion years ago. Jellyfish and worms by 800 million years ago. Shelly animals—and plants—by 600 million years ago. Chordates (like us—spinal cord, gill slits) by 550 million years ago. Life begins to invade land, 450 million years ago. Dinosaurs die out 65 million years ago—leaving mammals an opportunity. (pp. 6–13)
Hominids walk upright 5 million years ago. Homo habilis, larger brain, smaller jaw, flaked stone for cutting and scraping tools, 2 million years ago. Homo erectus 1.6 million years ago, 6 feet tall, brain up to 40 oz, hunted mammoth, reached Java and Peking. Ice age 600,000 years ago. Sea level down 300 feet as glaciers cover land. Fire in use at least by 500,000 years ago, maybe by 1.5 million years ago. Neanderthals, brains larger than modern humans’, by 300,000 years ago. Entered Europe. Buried their dead, often with food and flowers. Modern human, taller, slender, weaker, smaller brain than Neanderthal, by 50,000 years ago. Neanderthals extinct by 30,000 years ago. (pp. 15–21) [Non-African modern humans have Neanderthal DNA.]
By 25,000 years ago, all continents are peopled except Antarctica. Cave art, Spain and France, about 20,000 years ago. Dogs domesticated by 14,000 years ago. Goats by 12,000 years ago = 10,000 B.C. in Middle East. Herding allowed increased population. Sahara desertifies. Last glaciers recede. Sea levels rise. Americas and Australia will be isolated until 1492. (pp. 21–23)
Wheat and barley farming, N. Iraq, 8,000 B.C. World population explodes to 5 million. [If world population was 10,000 after Tova erupted 72,000 BCE, average population increase was 0.01%/yr for those 64,000 years.] (p. 23) Unrelenting toil from now on. “The population of an agricultural region quickly reached a height that could not be supported in any other way.” Sedentary life, and “property” began. Where nomadic bands’ territorial disputes rarely were lethal—the weaker band left—farmers had to stand and fight interlopers. Warfare, and enslavement of losers, begin. Cities begin for mutual defense. Humans no longer group by tribe (extended family), but by city. “In almost every case, people were willing to trade freedom for security.” Food surplus permits division of labor. The drive toward urbanization is still continuing, all over the world. Jarmo, northern Iraq, dates from about 8000 BC: 100–300 people. Jericho may date from about then. By 7000 BCE, city-states were on the Euphrates and the Nile; Jericho had 2500 population on 10 acres. (pp. 24–26).
Asia Minor and Greece farm by 6000 BC. Southeast Asia grows rice. Pottery. Soup, stew, casserole. Flax was grown for fiber well before 6000 BC. (Women's Work: The First 20,000 Years Women, Cloth, and Society in Early Times by Elizabeth Wayland Barber tells us /string/ was in use by 20,000 BCE.) Cloth. Clothing. Rafts. Cattle domesticated. (pp. 27–28)
Sumeria, first “high” civilization, on lower Euphrates by 5000 BCE: irrigation. Priest-kings. “Religion had become institutionalized and made to support the state, which has been its usual function ever since.” Sailing ships on Euphrates. Andean llama and alpaca are domesticated. Mexicans grow avocadoes and cotton, weave cloth. South Asians grow dates. Ukranians domesticate horses. (p. 28)
Ur, Sumeria 4000 BC. World population may be 85,000,000 [average 0.07%/year increase since 8000 BC]. Wine and beer—safer to drink than the water! In moderation! Metallurgy (never to reach the Americas nor Australia until after 1492). Indus Valley civilization, Pakistan. (pp. 29–30)
Copper-tin alloy: Sumeria enters Bronze Age, 3500 BC. Wheel: potter’s, cart. Oared ships on Euphrates. Plowing with oxen. Loose unions of city-states: Lower Egypt, Upper Egypt. Cities appear along lower Hwang-Ho (Yellow) river, northern China. (pp. 30–32)
Sumerians tally by 12, 60, 360: we still use dozens, 60 min/hr, 360 degree circle. Cuneiform writing by 3100 BC. “History” begins—allowing for self-serving lies! Each symbol stood for a word. Just a few scribes could read and write. Two worlds: settled, literate, technologically-advanced city-dwellers; tribal nomads, no agriculture, no writing. Nomads often tried to conquer rich city lands. When they won, they took over the culture—so civilization also won. Akkadians enter northern Sumeria 3000 BC. Narmer (Menes) unites Lower and Upper Egypt: world’s first nation, 3100 BC. (pp. 32–33)
Thomas Ray
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